Content Description/Analysis

1
Content Description/Analysis
2
Content Description

• Outline (most common form)
• Narrative
• Flow Chart

3
Content Description Stages

• 1 - outline the major topics
• 2 - more details not necessarily sequenced
• 3 - analyze stage 2 arrange material in
  accordance with learning hierarchy (Content
  Analysis or Task Analysis)

4
Content Analysis

• Concerned only with the order of instruction
• Most difficult aspect is specifying the learned
  capabilities
• What is the best order of material for your
  learners?

5
Content Analysis Methods

• Task analysis
• Walks through steps of process (may be with
  Subject-matter expert)
• Gagnes prerequisite method
• Facts to concepts to rules to problem solving

6
Content Analysis Methods

• Posner and Strikes related content theories
• Learning related sequencing
• World-related sequencing
• Concept-related sequencing
• Elaboration theory sequencing
• Content expertise
• Task expertise

7
Content Analysis Methods

• Task analysis
• What does the learner do?
• Identify action in each step
• Actions may be physical or mental
• What does learner need to know to do this step?
• Knowledge needed
• Location or orientation of any equipment or
  supplies used (Any cues to alert learner of a
  problem/remedy?)

8
Content Analysis Methods

• Posner and Strike
• Scheme considers difficulty of material
• Appeal or interest to learner
• Prerequisite information needed
• Learners cognitive development

9
Learning-Related Sequencing

• Identify prerequisites learner must master before
  new instruction (addition of whole numbers before
  fraction addition)
• Teach about the familiar before the unknown (use
  inches and feet before metrics)

10
Learning-Related Sequencing

• Difficulty
• Determined by amount of fine motor discrimination
  or cognitive processing (Simple income tax return
  before itemized)
• Interest
• Let learner play around on the piano before
  structured chord progressions
• Development theories (Bruner, Piaget, etc.)

11
World-Related Sequencing

• Sequence content by the natural order learner
  will experience
• Power up computer
• Log-in
• Open web browser
• Double click SIRS database
• Click on advanced search tab

12
World-Related Sequencing

• Consistent with real world experiences
• Spatial
• Left to right, top to bottom, north to south
• Temporal
• Historical first, second, third, etc.
• Fast to slow
• Physical
• Roundness, hardness, large to small, color,
  smoothness

13
Concept-Related Sequencing

• Class relations
• Computer
• General concepts first
• Input, output, central processor
• Then more specific concepts
• Mainframe, mini, PC
• Propositional relations
• Show examples of metal expansion (bridges, cookie
  sheets, etc.), then explain how heated metal
  expands

14
Concept-Related Sequencing

• Sophistication
• Concrete or simple facts or concepts to more
  abstract or complex
• Independent and dependent variables are explained
  before standard deviation
• Logical prerequisite
• Concepts of mean, mode, and median before
  analysis of variance

15
Elaboration Theory Sequencing

• Conceptual Sequence (Content Expertise)
• Arranges concepts according to their
  superordinate, coordinate, and subordinate
  realtionships
• Statistics
• Superordinate Measures of central tendency
• Coordinate Mean, mode, and median
• Subordinate Scores and sum

16
Elaboration Theory Sequencing

• Task Expertise Sequencing
• Uses simplifying conditions method
• Research Database example
• Basic keyword search
• Subject heading search
• Topic browse
• Advanced search (multiple search terms/before and
  after dates)

17
Concept-Related Sequencing

• Example
• Pest management in agriculture
• Definition of pests (class relations)
• Examples of different types of pests (class
  members)
• Simplest, concrete pests (weeds)
• Complex/abstract types (viruses, bacteria)
• Relationship between weather and developmental
  stages of insects

18
Content Analysis Exercise

• __ Screws provide a more secure joint than nails.
• __ Given a building assignment, the learner can
  determine when to use screws, nails, or bolts.
• __ Can identify screws, nails, and bolts, and
  tell the difference in each.

19
Content Analysis Exercise

• 2 Screws provide a more secure joint than nails.
• 3 Given a building assignment, the learner can
  determine when to use screws, nails, or bolts.
• 1 Can identify screws, nails, and bolts, and tell
  the difference in each.

20

• __Using only a physical features map of the U.S.,
  write a description of the climates of Los
  Angeles and Phoenix.
• __ Define climate and weather.
• __ Given a list of major cities in the world,
  determine their climate by placing these cities
  under heading of cold or warm.
• __ Given a list of descriptions of climate and
  weather, classify the the descriptions by placing
  a w by examples of weather, and a c by an
  example of climate.

21
Preinstructional Strategies

• Pretests
• Alert student to what is expected
• Learner should have some experience with material
• Behavioral objectives
• Precisely inform student of expectations

22
Overviews

• Written at the same level of abstraction as the
  unit of instruction
• Serves to introduce learners to central theme
• Approaches
• Provide a summary of content
• Pose a problem that unit will help solve
• Describe how content may help learner

23
Advance Organizers

• Provides a conceptual framework to increase
  meaningfulness of the content
• Makes it easier for learner to grasp new content
• Comparative organizer compares new and known
  content
• Expository organizer (unfamiliar) incorporates
  known relevant information

24
Advance Organizer Guidelines

• State ideas in general terms
• Ideas should be inclusive of the content covered
• If learner unfamiliar with content, use an
  expository organizer
• If learner somewhat familiar with content, use
  comparative organizer

25
Pictures and graphics

• Illustrations are conductive to learning related
  text information
• Helpful to demonstrate spatial relationships
• i.e. The position of the moon to the earth and
  the sun
• Also beneficial to illustrate abstract material

26
Pictures and graphics

• Beware of decorations
• Serve no concrete purpose to the topic
• Organizational graphics
• i.e. instructional manuals
• Interpretation
• i.e. scientific laws

27
Pictures and graphics

• Using them in instruction?
• Should enhance learning
• Appropriate pictures are available
• What is the cost involved?
• From Designing Effective Instruction 4th Ed.,
  Morrison, Ross, Kemp, 2004.